Memories of a Stranger
by Doomed-Kelpie
Summary: Merlin is plagued by dreams of a blonde man murdering him. When he moves to a new school, he finds out that it might not have been just a dream. Can it be a memory of how his last life ended? (TRIGGER WARNINGS: SELF-HARM, MURDER) (FUTURE AU)
1. The Dream

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Hey everyone! This is the new Merlin story I said I would be posting! Anyway, I hope you all like it!_

XXX

 _A handsome, blonde man glares at me. The look in his eyes terrifies me. It's pure fury. Why does he hate me so much? I don't even know who he is! I take a small step back. Somehow, he seems to grow even angrier than before. My heart grows heavier and heavier. Then, he reaches for his sword. It glistens in the sunlight. A beautiful woman clings onto an old man and starts sobbing. Another man runs in front of him and tries to grab the sword out of the blonde man's hands, but the blonde man orders someone to hold him back. As the other man is dragged, fighting and screaming, off to the side, I realize that no one can help me. This man will kill me. Why do I feel so betrayed? I can't even try to protect myself. I'm weak and unarmed. For some reason, I can't use my magic. Why can't I use my magic? I know it's still there, but I can't use it against him. Why? I look around, but I can't find any way to escape. There are men in red cloaks surrounding me. Many of them look just as angry as the blonde man, but a few look sad. Who are they? The blonde man is standing right in front of me now. He grabs my shirt and throws me to the ground. Pain spreads throughout my body. I look up just as the blonde man is thrusting his sword down at my neck._

"ARTHUR!" Merlin screams as he finally woke up from his dream.

He started hyperventilating. For years, he'd been having dreams about a blonde man he'd never met. Night after night, Merlin would wake up screaming a name. These dreams were slowly driving Merlin deeper and deeper into a dark abyss.

" _Whywhywhywhy…_ ," Merlin thought.

Merlin clutched at his throat. He couldn't breathe. Shakily, he grabbed his knife from beneath his bed. Without hesitation, he pulled back his sleeves and started slashing at his scarred skin beneath. As his blood oozed out of his skin, Merlin started to calm down. He breathed in. He breathed out. Eventually, Merlin crawled out of bed and left his room. He quietly made his way to the bathroom. While he was cleaning his cuts, his mother walked in.

"Merlin? Did you have the dream again?" Hunith asked.

Unable to speak, Merlin nodded. Hunith's gaze lowered to her son's arms. She helped Merlin cover his cuts with a bandage. When they were finished, she enveloped him in a tight hug.

"It's okay, Merlin. It's okay," she reassured him.

With tears forming in his eyes, Merlin nodded.

"I'm s-sorry, Mum. I-I panicked and th-then I couldn't breathe…," Merlin explained.

"I know, honey. I know. You don't have to apologize. You'll get through this. It's okay," she comforted.

Eventually, both Merlin and Hunith went back to their bedrooms for a few more hours of sleep. Once the sun came up, however, they had to face the world again. Merlin slowly got ready for school. In all honesty, he didn't want to go, but there was no way he could miss his first day at a new school. As he put his giant hoodie on, he winced as his cuts protested against the movement. Merlin sighed. He left his room and stalked into the kitchen with his backpack. After eating a piece of toast and saying goodbye to his mother, Merlin left the house.

" _I really hope these dreams stop soon,"_ Merlin wished to himself.

Before long, it was lunchtime. Merlin, since he didn't have any friends yet, sat alone at the end of one of the tables. Suddenly, someone sat right next to him.

"Merlin, is that you?!" he exclaimed.

Slowly, Merlin turned toward him.

 _Another man runs in front of him and tries to grab the sword out of the blonde man's hands, but the blonde man orders someone to hold him back_

Before Merlin understood what was going on, he spoke.

"Gwaine?" he asked.

"Who else?" the person joked.

Merlin shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Hold on. I don't know why I know your name. Have we… met somewhere?" Merlin questioned.

Gwaine's smile faltered.

"Of course we have! Merlin, don't you remember?" he asked.

"…No…?" Merlin replied. "This may sound weird, but… I've seen you in a dream. You tried to stop a blonde man from killing me… I can't seem to remember meeting you in real life, though…"

"You can't remember anything else about me?" Gwaine questioned grimly.

Merlin shook his head. Gwaine sighed.

"Well, then. I guess I'll be frank," he started. "You and I were friends in our past lives."

"Huh?" Merlin gasped, confused.

"It's the truth. You were the King's manservant and I was one of his knights," Gwaine explained, saying the word 'King' bitterly.

"There's no way that's possible," Merlin argued.

"I'm serious Merlin. Look, I'll prove it to you," Gwaine told him. "Your mother's name is Hunith and your father's name was Balinor. You have a best friend named Will. Finally, you can use magic."

Merlin's eyes widened. This person could have easily looked up the names of his friends and family, but… he had never told anyone he could use magic. The only person who knew about it was his mother. He had never even told Will.

"…How did you… know I could use magic…?" Merlin wondered uncomfortably.

"I just told you why," Gwaine said. "It'll probably take a while for you to remember everything, but you already remember some things, it seems. You knew my name before I introduced myself, after all."

Then, the man gripped Merlin's shoulders.

"Even if you don't believe me, please listen to my warning. The blonde man I tried to save you from was King Arthur. I failed. That was no dream, Merlin. It was a memory. Merlin… that was the day you died. Arthur killed you in rage because of your magic. If you see him, stay on guard. Run away if you can. Please, listen to me," Gwaine warned.

Merlin wanted to think that this person was crazy, but for some reason, he believed him. So, he nodded his head.

"Good," Gwaine said, somewhat relieved.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Then, Merlin broke it with a question.

"So… if we were friends in our past lives… can we be friends in this life too?" he asked.

Gwaine gave him a hardy slap on the back.

"Of course we can, mate!" Gwaine answered.

By the time they had finished eating, it was time to return to class. The pair had found out that their afternoon classes were the same, so they decided to walk to class together. When they were about to enter the classroom, however, Gwaine suddenly stopped and grew tense.

"Gwaine?" a disbelieving voice said from inside the classroom.

"Crap…," Gwaine cursed. "Merlin, remember my warning? That applies right now."

Merlin's eyes widened as he realized what Gwaine meant. The blonde man, Arthur, was in the classroom. Merlin froze.

" _Arthur… He's the man who killed me in my past life?"_ Merlin panicked in his head. " _He's the man who caused my 'dreams'. Oh God… He killed me! He hates me! What do I do? He can't try to kill me now, right? He'd get arrested… He killed me… He killed me… He killed me…"_

The blonde man appeared in the doorway.

"MERLIN?!" he exclaimed.

Merlin's panic grew worse, and he started trembling. The man before him was undoubtedly the one in his 'dreams'. Merlin fell to his knees. He couldn't breathe. He felt like he was going to throw up. Gwaine's voice was distant.

" _I don't have my knife! What do I do? I don't want him to kill me again! I can't run… What do I do…?" Merlin thought._

As Merlin panicked, Gwaine was trying to keep Arthur away from him while someone was running to get the nurse.

"Get away from him!" Gwaine growled at the former King. "After what you've done to him, you don't deserve to be anywhere near him!"

"Bu-!" Arthur was cut off.

That was when the nurse, an old man, arrived.

"Everyone, back up!" he ordered. "Give the boy some space!"

The nurse began to comfort Merlin. Merlin had recognized his voice.

" _Gaius…?"_ Merlin questioned in his thoughts.

Suddenly, Merlin felt a sharp pain in his skull.

 _A man who looks just like the nurse is sitting with me at a table. We're eating bread and some cheese. We're discussing what we did during the day. When I tell him about how Gwaine was chased around the castle by a chicken, he chuckles. I smile, remembering the look on the knight's face. Then there's a knock on the door._

Merlin's eyes flew open.

"GAIUS!" he yelled.

"It's alright, my boy. You had a panic attack," the nurse explained.

Merlin looked around and saw that he was now in the nurse's office.

"Gwaine already explained everything to me. Do you remember me?" Gaius asked.

"You… were… the court physician? We were eating together… and when I… d-died… a woman was holding onto you and crying…," Merlin answered.

"I see," Gaius replied. "Yes, I was the court physician. The crying woman was Guinevere. She's in this school as well, apparently. She ran into my office and told me you were in trouble. She remembers everything, by the way."

"I don't really remember her… I just remember that she was crying," Merlin explained.

"You were friends with her as well," the nurse told him.

Then, the pair heard a commotion outside the door.

"Arthur, he just had a panic attack because he saw you!" a woman yelled. "You shouldn't go in there!"

"Gwen, I have to talk to him!" a male voice protested.

The door flew open.

XXX

 _So, what did you all think of the first chapter? When will Merlin get all of his memories back? What will happen when Arthur tries to talk to Merlin? Stay tuned to find out! See you next chapter (Hopefully)!_


	2. The Apology

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 2**

 _The squirrel is back! (Just to clarify, that's what I tend to call myself in fanfics)_

 _Here's the next chapter!_

XXX

Arthur rushed into the room. Merlin immediately tensed. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him. This was when Merlin started panicking again.

" _He's going to choke me!"_ Merlin screamed in his thoughts.

Arthur, however, didn't choke him. Instead, he began talking.

"God, Merlin, I am so sorry! I can't believe that I killed you! I know you hate me, but please listen for a moment. I'm so sorry! I was so angry when I found out you had magic, but I shouldn't have killed you! You were my best friend, Merlin! I let myself be influenced by my father's hatred so much that I didn't even realize you weren't evil until you were already dead! I'm so sorry!" Arthur apologized repeatedly.

Then, Gwaine forced Arthur to let go of Merlin. Merlin's heartbeat slowed. Without looking at Arthur, Merlin turned to Gaius.

"G-Gaius? Can you c-call my Mum?" he requested. "I-I want to go home."

"Of course," replied the nurse.

A few minutes later, Hunith came running into the nurse's office and hugged Merlin tightly. As she led her son out of the room, she spotted Arthur. Hunith looked him right in the eye with the coldest glare she could muster. When they had left, Gaius spoke.

"Hunith apparently remembers everything as well," he said.

A few hours later, Merlin sat alone in his bedroom. He thought about what Gwaine had told him.

"A past life…," he muttered to himself. "If Gwaine knew about my friend and family, does that mean they're the same as in my past life too? Do they remember…?"

With that thought, Merlin took his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed Will's number and waited for his friend to answer.

"Hey, Merlin," Will greeted.

"…Hey, Will," Merlin said back, hoping Will wouldn't think he was crazy.

"What's up?" his friend asked. "Did you have the… dream… again?"

"Well, yes, but… Something happened today, Will," Merlin started. "Do you believe in past lives…?"

There was a moment of silence before Will's voice almost broke Merlin's eardrum.

"DID YOU FINALLY REMEMBER EVERYTHING AGAIN?!" Will yelled excitedly.

"Calm down, Will," Merlin explained. "I met someone today that claimed to be my friend in a past life… He told me some things that he shouldn't have known about me… And… I met the blonde man from my dream… So… is this past life stuff really true…?"

"Yeah," Will affirmed. "Man, I thought you remembered again... Back when we were younger, you remembered almost everything, but you forgot it when you remembered how you died... Is there anything you remember other than that?"

"Today, I remembered eating with the court physician, who is apparently my school nurse now. That's it, though. Sorry," Merlin replied.

"That sucks… Make sure you tell me if you start remembering anything, okay?" Will requested.

"Okay," answered Merlin.

After a few more minutes of talking, Merlin hung up.

"So… It's definitely true… That man… really killed me…," Merlin thought.

He curled into a ball and started to cry.

"What should I do…?" Merlin asked himself. "We go to the same school and we have at least one class together…"

Eventually, Merlin drifted off to sleep with his worried thoughts swirling around in his head.

 _I carry a girl in my arms. Carefully, I set her down next to a lake. Why does my chest hurt so much? Who is she? She says something to me. I respond. I feel like I have to help her. With shock, I realize that this girl is dying. I desperately try to think of something I can do to save her, but I know that not even my magic can do it. She reassures me and tells me I already saved her. No I didn't! She's still dying! I can no barely hold back my tears. I can't lose this girl! I can't! Her head starts to fall back and her eyes close. Shakily, I reach a hand to the side of her face. I pull her into a hug. She can't be gone! She can't be! I sit there, clutching her to my chest. I don't know how long I do this, but I eventually regain enough composure to lay her to rest. I fill a canoe with plants and gently lay her on top. With a spell, I send the boat out into the lake. Hesitantly, I cast another to set the canoe on fire. Unable to watch any longer, I make my way up from the edge of the lake and into the forest._

"FREYA!" Merlin screamed.

Once again, Merlin couldn't breathe. He tried to find his knife, but he was stopped by his mother's gentle hands. She pulled him to her chest. Reminded of his dream, Merlin tried to break free, but he couldn't find the energy to do so.

"It's okay, Merlin. It's okay," Hunith comforted.

The next day, Merlin didn't go to school. Arthur, who had spent the morning trying to find him, gave up by lunchtime. Sadly, he sat next to his half-sister, Morgana.

"Hey, Arthur. I see you came to join me at the 'I regret what I did in my past life' table," Morgana greeted glumly. "From what I've heard around the school, Merlin didn't take seeing you again too well."

Arthur sighed.

"I obviously don't blame him for his reaction, but I want to at least try to atone for what I did," he told her.

"I'm sorry to say this, Arthur, but it might be better to just leave Merlin alone. You and I can't exactly atone for what we've done," Morgana replied.

"I have to at least try, Morgana," Arthur said.

"Being around you will only put him in more pain, Arthur," she retorted. "And I believe that would be the opposite of atoning."

Arthur had nothing to say to that.

"Hey!" an angry voice shouted from behind them.

The siblings turned to see Gwaine coming toward them. The ex-knight stopped next to Arthur. He leaned down and glared directly into Arthur's eyes.

"Listen to me, princess. I don't care if I get arrested. If you _ever_ hurt Merlin again, I will kill you," Gwaine growled darkly.

With that, he stomped away.

"See?" Morgana questioned.

XXX

 _First of all, thank you for all the positive reviews! I hope I won't disappoint you guys in the future._

 _I know this chapter is a bit shorter than the other one, but I thought that would be a good place to end it. Sorry._

 _Also, I don't know if this will be a Merthur story or not yet._


	3. The Friend

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 3**

 _Okay, so I decided that this isn't going to be Merthur. (Just to answer that question.)_

 _Also, I have a lot of summer schoolwork to do as well as writing a lot of original stories. That being said, I don't know how often this will be updated. I will still keep updating, though, and I'll try not to take more than a week per chapter._

XXX

 _There's fire everywhere. I can see burning light. I can feel the blazing heat radiating from it. And… I can hear the shrieks of those who weren't able to escape the inferno. I turn away from the fire, only to see the charred remains of a child. It takes all my willpower to not throw up. Why do I feel so guilty? Is this my fault? Am I the cause of the inferno, the screams, and the bodies? As a roar bellows down from the sky, a tear rolls down my cheek._

"KILGARRAH!" Merlin screamed.

Merlin felt the familiar sensation of not being able to breathe, which made him think of those who were trapped in the fire, choking on the smoke. He started to shake.

" _Was that fire really my fault…? Did I do that…? "_ Merlin asked himself.

Real tears flowed from Merlin's eyes as he grabbed his knife. He positioned the knife for the first cut.

A few hours later, Merlin walked into the school. He didn't want to be there when the blonde man could find him, but he couldn't skip school forever. So, he carefully made his way to his first class. When he was almost there, he felt a light tap on the shoulder. He turned and saw the woman, Guinevere.

"Hey, Merlin… Would you mind talking to me for a little bit?" she asked.

"Alright," he agreed.

Guinevere then led him to a somewhat more private location before she spoke.

"I know that you don't really remember me, but I need to apologize. I wasn't able to stop Arthur when he… you know… Merlin, you were a great friend to me, and when that happened… I just couldn't believe what was happening. I'm not sure if you know this, but you and Arthur… were pretty much best friends. I can't believe he killed you just because you had magic, without even explaining yourself! I'm sorry, Merlin!" Guinevere told him as she gave him a hug.

"It wasn't your fault…," Merlin replied softly. "You're not the person who killed me…"

"Still, I could have done more to stop him…," Guinevere retorted. "You didn't deserve to be killed like that, Merlin."

After that, the pair split up to go to their classes. Merlin sat down at his seat. When class started, however, he was unable to focus on the teacher's lesson.

" _That blonde man and I… were best friends…? And he still killed me…? Why… ?"_ he thought.

Merlin contemplated this new information over and over until lunch. Then, he sat down next to Gwaine.

"Hey, Merlin," Gwaine greeted. "You okay, mate?"

"I talked with Guinevere this morning… She said that Arthur and I… were best friends…," Merlin replied.

"Oh," said Gwaine. "You were. You two were almost always together. Sure, you had to be around each other because of your job, but it was more than necessary for that. You two were so close…"

"What do you mean? What job?" Merlin asked.

"You were his manservant. His father gave you the job for saving Arthur's life. Which, according to Gaius, you did a lot more than we ever knew," Gwaine explained.

At this point, Gwaine was openly glaring.

"You saved his life countless times, and he repaid you by murdering you in cold blood," Gwaine continued.

Merlin looked down at the table. Merlin and Gwaine spent the rest of lunch in silence.

After school had ended, Merlin was walking home. He had briefly seen Arthur in his afternoon classes, but he managed to keep himself calm. Gwaine had kept Arthur away from him, so he hadn't been forced to talk with his murderer. However, he felt someone grip his shoulder, and judging by the size of the hand, it wasn't Guinevere again.

"I swear, I'm not going to hurt you," said Arthur.

Merlin turned around swiftly to face the man, afraid.

"Wh-What do y-you w-want?" Merlin stammered out, his panic rising.

"Merlin, I meant it when I apologized," Arthur said. "I know that it doesn't make up for what I did, but I really am sorry."

"Th-The o-others told m-me that we w-were fr-friends…," Merlin stuttered. "A-And you k-killed me a-anyway…"

Arthur's eyes widened. Merlin, unable to contain his fear any longer, yelled out a spell. Suddenly, he had disappeared, leaving Arthur alone on the sidewalk. Merlin found himself in front of his house, and he quickly went inside. He ran up to his room and locked the door. After he curled up beneath the blankets on his bed, he began to cry.

XXX

 _Well, that's the chapter. Sorry it took so long to update, but like I already said, I have a lot of stuff to do. I hope you liked this chapter!_


	4. The Lake

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 4**

 _Hey everyone… Sorry, I know it's been more than a week since I updated. Sorry. Like I said, though, I'm busy. Hehehe… On with the chapter, then!_

XXX

 _I heard a voice calling my name. Over and over, it beckoned me. Should I follow the voice. It repeats my name again. Making my choice, I get out of bed. The voice continues, and I follow it through the castle. I go down deeper and deeper. Eventually, I reach the opening to a cave beneath the castle. Then, out of the shadows, a dragon appears._

For once, Merlin didn't wake up screaming.

"Meeeeeeerliiiiin," a voice called.

Merlin jumped in surprise. This voice was real, and it wasn't nearly as deep as the one from his dream.

" _This voice… sounds familiar, though…,"_ Merlin thought.

Merlin got out of bed and went to the door of his room. Then, he looked out the window. It was still the middle of the night. Merlin hesitated to open the door. The voice called again, sounding more desperate this time. With a sigh, he creaked the door open and followed the voice out of his house. The voice led him through the city, just like how the other voice led him through the castle. After a while, the buildings were slowly replaced by trees. Merlin continued through the dark forest. He could barely see, but he felt as if he knew his way around perfectly. A few minutes later, Merlin came to the edge of a lake. The moon glistened off its mirror-like surface. Merlin stepped into the water. He kept going until the water was half-way to his knees. Then, a figure started to rise out of the water in front of him. Merlin's eyes widened when he saw that it was the girl who died in his arms.

"Hello, Merlin," she said. "I'm sure you're confused, but it'll make more sense soon. You have to remember, Merlin. The world is in danger."

"What?" Merlin asked, completely confused.

"Morgause is trying to control the world, Merlin," she explained. "And you're the only one powerful enough to stop her. You have to remember everything, or your true powers will stay locked."

With that, the girl reached a hand up to Merlin's forehead. She started chanting a spell. Her eyes glowed bright gold. Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through Merlin's head, and the memories started flooding in:

Ealdor. Camelot. Dragons. Sorcery. Warlock. Witch. Herbs. Prince. Magic. Fire. Attacks. Friends. Knights. King. Queen. Betrayal. Friendship. Curses. Plots. Immortal. Death. Griffin. Book. Secret.

Everything came back. Merlin fell over from the pain in his head. Tears formed in Merlin's eyes.

"Merlin, you have to accept your memories. This is who you are. You have to save the world!" she said. "When the red moon rises, you and the others must find Morgause and stop her before she can complete her spell!"

That was the last thing Merlin heard before he blacked out. The next time he woke up, he was back in his bed, although his clothes were still a bit damp. He still remembered everything. As he sat up, he looked around his room. Suddenly, it looked unfamiliar to him. He held out his arms and pulled up his sleeves. He ran his fingers over the scars.

" _These shouldn't be here…,"_ Merlin thought in anguish.

Tears fell from the boy's eyes again. Merlin remembered _everything._

 _We all sat in Arthur's chambers, discussing some plan to improve Camelot's defenses. Arthur asked me to pour him a drink. I get up, but when I try to pick up the pitcher, I drop it. Before I can stop myself, I instinctively stop it with my magic. Everyone freezes and stares at me. In panic, I let the pitcher drop the ground and shatter. Arthur glares at me._

"I can't believe it… I died for stopping a water pitcher from breaking. My best friend killed me for _that…_?" Merlin mumbled to himself. "Why, Arthur? _Why…_? If you feel so bad about it now, why would you have killed me…?"

Merlin was brought out of his musings by his alarm clock. He quickly wiped his eyes and got dressed. He exited his room with a blank look on his face, and dull, vacant eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Hunith asked when she saw her son. "Did you have that dream again?"

Merlin shook his head.

"… I remembered everything…," he explained before he went out the door.

XXX

 _So? I hope you guys don't think this story is stupid now… Sorry if you don't like the story anymore… "When the red moon rises" sounds kind of cheesy, huh…?_

 _Well, that's the chapter, I guess… I hope I'll see you all next chapter._

 _The squirrel has left the building._


	5. The Truth

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 5**

 _Hi everybody! It's the next chapter! Yay! I'm really sorry about how long it took! I know I said that last chapter, but I really didn't know what to do next. I know that the hiatus has been pretty long… Sorry…_

XXX

"Gwaine," Merlin said as he sat down at the lunch table.

"Hey, mate," Gwaine replied. "Something up?"

"…My memories are back," Merlin sighed. "All of them."

"You okay?" Gwaine asked, worried.

"I don't know. It's confusing to bring together both of my lives, you know?" Merlin answered.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it after a while," Gwaine told him. "You'll be okay."

"… Morgause is back. We have to stop her," Merlin continued.

Gwaine sighed.

"She didn't learn her lesson, then? I'm sure you'll be able to defeat her," he said.

"You're all supposed to help me, but… I think Arthur is too," Merlin explained. "I don't know if I can do that. I don't think I can go into battle with him when I can't even stay calm around him. I'm not that strong."

"Merlin, you're the strongest person I know, and it's not like you need Arthur, anyway," Gwaine tried to comfort.

"No, Gwaine, I'm not. I'm not strong. Remember how I thought the memory of my death was a dream? I couldn't handle reliving it every night," Merlin pulled up his sleeve and held out his arm before continuing. "I did _this_ Gwaine."

"Merlin…," Gwaine trailed off, clearly upset.

The pair stayed silent for a while as they both tried to come to terms with everything.

"I should kill him," Gwaine finally growled.

"Please don't," Merlin said. "It's not worth going to jail for. And I did it to myself, anyway."

Throughout the day, Merlin succeeded in explaining the situation to Gaius and Guinevere and avoiding Arthur and Morgana. As he entered his home, he found Hunith waiting for him.

"Are you okay, Honey?" she asked.

"I'm better than I was this morning," Merlin told her. "Did you know about all this?"

Hunith nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Merlin asked in a raspy whisper.

"I thought it would be worse if you knew. I thought that if you didn't know it was real, you wouldn't be as afraid. It's a lot scarier as a memory than as a nightmare, isn't it?" Hunith replied.

This time, Merlin nodded.

"I wish I didn't remember anything," said Merlin. "But I had to. I have to stop Morgause again."

"Oh, Honey," Hunith said. "I wish you never had to deal with this destiny."

"I know," Merlin agreed.

"Have you seen Morgause?" Hunith asked.

Merlin shook his head.

"She's probably hiding somewhere," Merlin replied.

Eventually, Merlin went into his room to do his homework. Later that night, he fell asleep without a nightmare for the first time in a long time.

XXX

I'm sorry this chapter's so short after such a long hiatus. I'm kind of using this as a transitioning chapter for Merlin starting to accept everything. I'm still really sorry about how long the hiatus was…


	6. The Battle

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 6**

 _Yeah… Sorry about the hiatus…_

XXX

Merlin's heart sank when he heard the weather report on television.

" _There's going to be a blood moon on Saturday, so be sure not to miss it!"_ the weatherman announced.

Merlin cursed to himself. He hadn't even mustered the courage to explain the situation to Arthur and Morgana yet. He looked at the calendar.

"It's already Thursday…," Merlin sighed.

XXX

Merlin waked into school tensely. He had been up most of the night worrying about what he knew he would have to do the next day.

"I should just get this over with," he told himself.

So, Merlin started wandering around the school to find the two people he wanted to see the least. After ten minutes of checking random classrooms and asking fellow students, he saw the pair sitting in the library. Morgana was quietly reading a book as Arthur seemed to be frantically completing a worksheet.

" _If this kills me, please make me be a barnacle or something in my next life…,"_ Merlin thought.

He took a long, shaky breath in to prepare himself before forcing his feet to move him forward.

"Hey," he whispered to the pair.

They both stopped what they were doing and looked up. Both of their eyes widened. Clearly, they were surprised that Merlin had decided to talk to them let alone seek them out.

"Merlin?" Arthur questioned, almost hopefully.

"Look, Morgause has some plan to take over the world again, and apparently, I need you two to help me stop her," Merlin started. "To be quite honest, I'm still terrified to be standing here, but I can't let the world be controlled by evil just because I'm afraid. We're supposed to stop her when the moon is red, which will be tomorrow's blood moon. So, please, help me stop her."

Merlin had already been whispering when he began speaking, but he had grown steadily quieter the longer he talked. The two half-siblings stared at the young man for a second before replying.

"Of course we'll help you!" Arthur said a bit too loudly, earning a glare from the librarian and other students hanging around.

"What do we have to do?" Morgana asked quietly.

"I think we're going to have to literally fight her… like what we would have done back then…," Merlin answered.

"Alright," Morgana said with a nod as she started scribbling something onto a piece of paper and handing it to Merlin. "Here are our phone numbers, so you'll be able to contact us."

Merlin took the paper before exiting the library to go to class, his worry only somewhat alleviated.

XXX

The next day, as the moon rose, six people stood next to the lake Freya had arisen from. Merlin, at first, hadn't been sure about meeting there, but her had a strange feeling that that was what they were supposed to do. As Freya once again emerged from the lake, however, Merlin realized that he had made the right choice.

"Merlin," the woman spoke. "There's no time to waste. Morgause will also be arriving shortly. She knows that you're here, so she's going to try as hard as she can to stop you."

She then turned to the other five people standing behind Merlin.

"Gaius, Morgana, you two will have to help Merlin in casting spells. Gwaine, Arthur, and Guinevere, you three will have to fight with these," Freya told them as she pulled three enchanted swords out of the water. "You are the only people who can stand in Morgause's way. The world has forgotten magic, and its weapons won't stand a chance against her powers."

The sound of a stick snapping came from behind them. Hearing this, Freya descended back into the waters of the lake. The group of six turned to face the evil woman just as she shot a ball of magical fire at them. Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and the fiery attack was instantly blocked. Morgause's sinister smile grew disturbingly wide, but her eyes were set in a glare. She laughed maniacally.

"It seems that my dear sister has switched sides. It's a shame. We could have crushed these buffoons and taken over the world together, Morgana," Morgause spoke.

"I regret what I've done, Morgause!" Morgana shouted. "And we're going to crush you, not the other way around!"

"We'll see about that," Morgause sneered.

She then flung her hands up in the air, her eyes glowing. Dirt men grew out of the ground and the battle began.

Arthur and Gwaine immediately rushed at the of the creatures and cut them down with their swords. They immediately crumbled back the ground. However, two more dirt men soon replaced them. With that, everyone went into an all-out fight between the two sides as they tried to destroy the dirt men and get to Morgause, but the regenerative abilities of the creatures made this almost impossible.

"Don't you see it?! I'm stronger than all of you combined!" Morgause shouted madly.

Any attempt to attack Morgause with magic were either blocked by the dirt men or dodged.

"I've been waiting for this day ever since I was reborn!" she continued.

The battle continued, but there was no end in sight. Eventually, the moon rose right above the lake, and Morgause's entire body started to glow bright red.

"It's taken me years to complete this spell, but nothing can stop me now!" she shrieked at her opponents.

Morgause then held out her hand toward Arthur. A red beam of light shot out from her palm and attached itself to Arthur's chest, right above his heart. Then, within an instant, a complicated network of red threads attached themselves to Arthur's limbs.

"I'll finally have what should have been mine!" the mad woman continued.

Once she had spoken, she closed her hand into a fist, and Arthur's eyes began to glow red. She moved her hand again, and Arthur lurched forward, sword in hand. As they were distracted by the new attack, Morgana shot out her other hand. Everyone other than Merlin was wrapped tightly in the glowing, red threads as well, putting them under her complete control.

"Now, Merlin, I think I'll take my revenge for all those times you stopped me in the past. And what better way to get revenge than kill you with the same friend that killed you last time?" she giggled.

Arthur, under Morgause's control, then rushed at Merlin. The young warlock was just barely able to dodge the swinging blade before it connected with his neck. Arthur then turned and rushed him again. In fear, Merlin shot a ball of magic to stop him. It easily knocked Arthur onto his back, but that only stopped him for the time it took him to stand back up.

"Not much of a hero anymore, are you?" Morgause taunted.

Arthur slashed at him with his sword again, getting even closer to his target. This time, it was Merlin who fell to the ground. With another laugh, one even louder than before, Morgause moved her other hand so that the others all started to blindly attack him. Merlin tried to frantically block all of the attacks, but it became increasingly more difficult as the battle went on. Merlin started to give up hope, and. He looked up to see Arthur standing directly over him, sword positioned right above his neck. Merlin trembled fearfully, remembering the past, but he closed his eyes in resignation. He waited for the sword to cut off his head, but it didn't.

Merlin opened his eyes. He saw that the entire battle seemed to have paused. Arthur and the others were tense and shaking, as if they were fighting against the threads that controlled them. Merlin took the chance to stand back up. As Morgause was focused on trying to get her puppets to follow her orders, Merlin gathered up at much magic as he could into his one hand. Then, he shot it out at the wicked woman with as much force as he could muster. Seeing this, Morgause released her hold on the others and tried to block Merlin's spell, but she was too late. It connected and knocked her onto the ground with a loud thud.

Everything went silent. Morgause didn't move. Merlin stepped closer to check if she was dead. However, as soon as his shaking hands tried to check for a pulse, her eyes shot open, and she tried to shoot magic at Merlin with her last bit of strength. Merlin thought he was a goner, but, once again, the blow never came. Arthur grabbed Merlin and pulled him out of the way just in time to save him, but… this put him directly in the line of fire. The magic hit him and blasted a hole right through his chest.

Just as Morgause let out her final breath, Arthur hit the ground, never to stand back up again.

XXX

 _Okay, there's going to be one more chapter. It's probably going to be short because it's almost like an epilogue. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!_


	7. The End

**Memories of a Stranger**

 **Chapter 7**

 _This is going to be the last chapter! Yay!_

XXX

For a while, they all just stood there, staring at the dead bodies on the ground, but then, all of their visions faded out to black. When their eyes opened again, they found themselves in a brightly-lit meadow covered in the most beautiful flowers they had ever seen. Merlin quickly found himself in his mother's arms.

"M-Mum? What happened?" Merlin questioned, confused.

"You did it honey. Morgause won't be able to hurt anyone anymore," Hunith answered gently.

"Where are we?" Merlin asked.

"This is Avalon, Merlin. We've been here before. Now that your mission has been completed, we came back," Hunith answered carefully.

"So, we're all dead again, then?" asked Merlin shakily.

Hunith hugged her son tighter.

"It's okay, Merlin. Everything is okay now," she comforted. "Everything is okay…"

XXX

Once Merlin had had enough time to think and accept the situation, he knew what he had to do. He went searching through the beautiful landscape until he found the blonde man he had been looking for.

"Arthur," Merlin called out.

The man turned toward him, his face still showing that he was worried about what had transpired between them. Merlin smiled sadly.

"Thank you."

XXX

 _And that's the end! I know it shouldn't have taken that long, but writer's block is a real pain._

 _I hope you guys like how it ended._

 _Thanks for reading!_


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